U.S. Pat. No. 2,825,364, to Cullen, et al. is entitled "Flexible Supports for Fluid-Driven Drill Bits." A flexible drilling conduit having a first helically wound wire to resist pull or tension in loading and a second helically wound wire for resisting torque force is disclosed. The second wire is wound at a substantially greater helical angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the conduit than the first wire, which carries the tension load of the conduit.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,668 discloses a similar "Flexible Pipe for Drilling" having adjacent external helically wrapped armor wires which equalize well pressure about the pipes to prevent sticking of the pipe in the well during circulation of the drilling fluid.
Fischer U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,345 discloses a method of tensioning a drilling riser to compensate for environmental forces as well as for the weight of the drilling fluid in the riser. Ball U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,108 contains a similar disclosure, but also recognizes the weight of the riser contributes to undesired compressive loading. The riser is equipped with a plurality of buoyant tanks to ensure the proper tension loading to prevent buckling of the riser. U.S. Pat. No. 3,017,934 also discloses a drilling riser having a plurality of separate buoyant chambers along the length of the riser to maintain the riser under desired tension conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,606,003 to McNeill, entitled "Off-Shore Drilling" discloses an early embodiment of a shallow well drilling from a floating vessel. The riser conductor is provided with either a heavy, large diameter rubber hose flex joints or concentric ball-joint type arrangement to enable flexing to eliminate bending stresses. No particular type of flexible rubber hose construction or the tensioning thereof is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,538,238 to Delacour, et al. is entitled "Flexible Guide Pipe for Underwater Drilling." The prior art disclosed therein employs a flexible hose for connecting with the submerged wellhead to provide for return of the drilling fluid. The disclosed flexible guide pipe employs a lower flange connectable with a hydrostatic wellhead connector for securing with the submerged wellhead while an upper flange connects with the mud return line. An outer sleeve or sock formed by a helically wound netting secured to the end flanges limits axial elongation of the flexible guide pipe and carries the tension loading.
The U.S. patent to Taylor, No. 3,190,315, discloses a typical high pressure hose having an inner tubular member of elastomer material impervious to fluid passing therethrough. The inner tubular member is surrounded by reinforcing layers of braided construction which is in turn surrounded by an insulating layer also of elastomer material. Surrounding the insulation layer is a second helical round reinforcement layer that is covered by the outer cover. Both reinforcing layers are helically wound and no special tension carrying elements are disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,725,167 to Love, et al. discloses a hose having multi-layers of helically wrapped braided reinforcement. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,420,276 to Skinner, et al. and 3,603,719 to LeJeune, as well as U.S. Pat. No. 3,886,980 to Elson.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,843, entitled "Flexible Tubes for Hydraulic Application" discloses a tubing that is particularly useful in hydraulic systems using a non-combustible liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,360 to Hopkins discloses a flexible hose having a plurality of braided layers that are vulcanized to form a unitary structure.